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Kellogg Community College, Battle Creek, MI (telephone speech), March 31, 1965
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4525828
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Kellogg Community College, Battle Creek, MI (telephone speech), March 31, 1965
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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1965-03-31
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1965
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1965-03-01
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The original documents are located in Box D19, folder "Kellogg Community College, Battle
Creek, MI (telephone speech), March 31, 1965" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press
Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box D17 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
Telephone speech for Kellogg Community College, Battle Creek, Mich.
8:30 a.m. March 31
Speak 20 minutes, answer 10 minutes of questions
Subjects: Voting rights and aid to education
Among the major issues in the Nation today are voting rights and
heavy centralization of pown in Washington.
One has been in the headlines for weeks. The other is given somemet
more restrained
quinter attention in the news media.
We have seen the marches, read about them, been appaIled at the violence,
voting
hopeful that peace would return to the battleground of within rights.
Climaxing a series of turbulent events, the President gave a special
message to a joint session of Congress recently. A few hours later the
Administration sent a proposed voting rights bill to Capitol Hill following
the President's urgent request for quick adoption of the legislation.
Although there are differences of opinion among both Democrate and
Republicans as to the exact language of voting rights legislation, I believe
we are generally agreed that a law must be passed insuring that all qualified
citizens, wherever they live, can cast their ballots by 1966.
I certainly cannot speak for the Democrate. But, I can tell you that
early in this 89th Congress before the demonstrations across our land====
Republicans in the House instruced at least 20 bills all aimed at insuring
voting rights.
We believe that we candevelop a bill within the framework of the
Constitution and without being the target of long legal debate that will
end the bitter dispute over voting rights for all qualified Americans.
BERALD R.FORD LIBRARY
Kellogg College speech
&
I emphasize that "spublican action on voting rights was not
triggered by demonstrations of social revolution. Bur
own consciences were aroused by the need to have stronger legislation
and we moved shead without trumpeting fanfare to teckle the job.
Working quietly and earnestly under the leadership of Rep. William
task force
McCulloch, chairman of the Republican Unionesses on voting rights and
ranking member of our Party on the Judiciary Committee, Republicans are
hammering out a bill we hope will solve a vitally important social problem
in our country.
When the President's bill came to Congress, it would have been
easy for Republicans as the loyal opposition to riddle the proposal with blistering
criticism.
This is not to say that we haven't found holes, weaknesses and even
apparent violations of the Constitution in the Administration's proposed answer
to the problem of voting rights.
For example, the first article of the Constitution gives states the
authority to decide the qualifications of voters. The Administration bill
would violate the Constitution by blocking the rights of certain states to
establish such qualifications.
Under a complex formula in the Administration's proposed bill, Federal
authorities would have the right to abolish voter qulsifications and to
supervise voter registration.
In a ctual practice, the formula would apply only to Alabama, Louisiana,
GERAL
Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginis.
-more-
1
Kellogg College speech
The law the President virtually demanded that Congress hurriedly
illiterate
mingh adopt would give citizens in these six states more voting
rights than they would have if they lived in New York.
"sanwhile, "epublicans are working on constructive alternatives
to the President's bill that was spawned in secrecy. It is A tough, demanding
and complicated job. The Administration bill also is undergoing extensive
investigation by the House Judiciary committee.
At this point, I can tell you that Republicans in the House will
support legislation to achieve maximum registration and voting by the target
date of 1966.
Turning now to centralisation of power in Washington, I believe
a crushing over-balance of strength in either party for too long a time makes
a mockery of our traditions of government, weakens and softens the voice of the
people, and places control in the hands of a comparatively small majority.
-more
GERALD FORD LIBRARY